Chances
by TheFerretGirl
Summary: Wesley's father comes for a visit. It all goes very different then Wesley expected. (mild WesAngel slash)


_**A really quickly writen piece in answer to a challenge issued bye Lilacgirl. She wanted to know what it would be like if Wesley's father did love Wesley but cannot seem to conect with him. I gave it a try.**_

_**So this is what I like to call a quickie. I wrote it in about an hour, it even got a quick beta by Lilagirly herself. I wrote it for her, but I'm sure she won't mind if ya'll read it too.  
  
Nothing big, can't be much since I wrote it rather fast. But hey, you might like it anyway. It was therapeutic, writing for me at the moment.**_

**Title:** Chances  
**Author:** FerretGirl  
**Pairing:** Angel/Wes (yeah yeah) and Wyndam-Pryce Sr.  
**Spoilers:** Slight spoilers for AtS S5  
**Rating:** Uhm...dunno. No violence, no sex, lota angst  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine. If they were the boy's wouldn't get to leave my room Damnit.

  
_ Thanks to LilacGirl for the quick beta._

**Chances**

  
  
  
Wesley stared at the phone. He was coming, by the end of this week. He was coming. Bloody hell! Everything was going reasonably smoothly in his life. For the first time he felt content. He had friends, family even, who respected him and maybe even loved him. He was running Angel Investigations and that went quite right as well. He had patched things up with most of the Sunnydale people. And now he was coming. His Father.  
  
And why this week? It was the anniversary of his mothers passing. Mum had died when Wesley was seven years. He hardly remembered her. He did remember resenting her leaving him alone with his father, to grow up with a man who mourned his wife's passing and resented his failure of a son. A cold and distant man who lived by the rules.  
  
Wesley nervously chewed the nail of his thumb. Why was his father coming? Something about having to tell him important news. Well that could be anything, his father only talked to him if it was important.  
  
No doubt he was coming over to see how his son had messed things up this time. But Wesley hadn't messed things up, he knew that. But he also knew that his father's view of things would be different. After all, he was working for...no with.. a vampire. Running a shady little detective agency. He had lost not one but two slayers, got fired from the council, was tortured by one of said slayers, got fired by the vampire with the soul. If Wesley added everything up and thought about it, then yes, he had managed to mess things up once again.  
  
He wasn't a watcher, he didn't have a slayer to train, he wasn't working for the council, he was a failure.  
  
"Wes!" Angel took him by the shoulder to shake his friend slightly. He had called out to him more then three times already but the ex-watcher seemed to be very deep in thoughts. He was worried.  
  
"Angel," Wesley looked up startled. He hadn't noticed that some one had been trying to get his attention. "I'm sorry, I was..thinking," he apologized.  
  
"Yeah I noticed that," Angel tried to smile a little. "Who was on the phone that got you so rilled up?" He already had his suspicions Wes was like this every time he had been talking to his father.  
  
"It was," Wesley waved vaguely toward the phone, "my father." He looked at Angel, "he coming here in two days. He said he had something to tell me."  
  
Angel could read Wesley like a book by now. He didn't like what he read this time. Fear, insecurity, nervousness. It was in the body language and in the eyes even though they were hidden behind the glasses. He didn't like it one bit, every time Wyndam-Pryce senior called, this would happen.  
  
Wesley had never told him much about his childhood. Only that, from what he remembered, it was only him and his father. And that his father had high expectations...and Wesley didn't live up to those. Then there were of course the little slips that told Angel that Wesley's father was a strict, old fashioned man. The kind that lived by the rule that children should be heard and not be seen.  
  
He remembered that kind of upbringing well. After all his own father had been like that. Of course it had been a different time, but never the less he understood.  
  
"Did he tell you what it was about?" Angel grabbed Wesley's hand to prevent him from chewing on the thumbnail again. If Wes kept that up there wasn't going to be a thumb left by the time Wyndam-Pryce senior would arrive.  
  
"No, no he didn't, just that it was important as it always is," Wesley sighed. He smiled weakly at Angel when the vampire grabbed his hand. He held on tight to the hand, squeezing it lightly.  
  
"It'll be okay Wes, don't worry," Angel said. He cupped Wes chin and turned his face to look in his eyes. "And if not, just remember that you _have_ another family who's there for you okay?"  
  
Wesley's smile became a little broader, but not less weaker. "I'll try to remember that."  
  
**********  
Angel looked into the office where Wesley was pretending to read. He had sent Cordelia and Gunn home. Even though they wanted to be here for Wes, they understood that Wesley didn't want them to see him being degraded by his father, as Wes had put it. They had left telling Angel to call them the moment Wes needed them. Especially Cordelia had been very insistent.  
  
Angel glanced at the clock as well when he saw Wesley doing it again. Almost time. Any minute now the doors would open and Wyndam-Pryce senior would enter. Angel couldn't help feeling curious about the man. He had formed this entire image in his head. An image based on what he knew from what little Wes had told him. He was curious to find out how much he was going to have to adjust this image. After all you didn't live for over two hundred years to know that most people could be completely different then they seemed at first glance.  
  
He frowned when he saw Wesley had started pacing. Now there was a prime example of not judging a book by its cover if there ever was one. The ex-watcher had come a long way since Sunnydale Angel knew. He had been very surprised to find out Wesley's sudden depths. Had been very surprised to find out about the many layers hiding inside Wesley, layers that only now were beginning to show.  
  
Wesley walked out of the office, staring at the door. He fidgeted nervously at his collar, adjusting a tie that wasn't there. He had changed clothes almost six times this morning . Finally opting for something casual but well dressed. He had even gone so far as asking Cordelia for advice. And for once had gotten it without the usual snarks. He swallowed and looked over at Angel.  
  
"Stop worrying Wes, it's going to be okay," Angel assured him for the tenth time.  
  
"I can't help it," Wesley whispered.  
  
Angel was about to try and reassure Wesley some more when the door opened.  
  
And there he was, Roger Wyndam-Pryce. A tall man, dressed in a light suit with matching tie, grey hair, handsome features, but the lines in his face were hardened by life. Angel noticed right away that he had the same intense blue eye Wesley had. The man stood ramrod straight, with great dignity and looked from Angel to Wesley. Angel waited, he was going to follow Wesley's lead here.  
  
"Son," the deep voice of Roger Wyndam-Pryce rumbled.  
  
Angel frankly was amazed. One word, just one word. And yet so much was said in that one word. He saw Wesley flinch, whether it was because of how the word was said or if it was an inbuilt reaction he didn't know.  
  
"Father," Wesley answered softly. Hesitantly Wesley stepped forward holding out his hand toward his father.  
  
Roger looked at the hand for a moment before he took it and shook it. He glanced back at Angel knowingly. He knew who this other man was, a vampire, a creature of the night and his son worked with this creature.  
  
"Angelus," Roger nodded toward Angel.  
  
Well, Roger Wyndam-Pryce certainly was....polite, Angel had to admit that. Angel didn't even react to the name Angelus, after all this was a watcher addressing him, an old watcher. He had actually expected this.  
  
Wesley how ever did react. "His name is Angel father, not Angelus," he said in a voice much stronger now.  
  
Roger nodded, "Of course, he has a soul now, please forgive my rudeness," this last part was said to Angel again.  
  
Taking his cue Angel walked toward the man and held out his hand. "It's very nice to meet you," he lied.  
  
Roger Wyndam-Pryce looked at the proffered hand and to his credit he only hesitated a few second before reaching out to shake it. "It is very...interesting...to meet you," the older man replied.  
  
He dismissed Angel and turned toward his Son. "Wesley can we talk somewhere private?"  
  
Wesley was about to protest, was about to say that what ever his father had to discuss this time he could do it in front of Angel, was about to say that Angel and he had no secrets.  
  
"You can go into the office," Angel quickly said. Now was not the time to prove certain things, they could wait.  
  
Wesley threw him a piercing look and sighed. His voice how ever was tightly controlled, showing no emotions. "Yes, thank you. This way please father," he said leading the way.  
  
Roger nodded toward Angel and followed his son into the office. Leaving his luggage where he had disposed of it.  
  
Angel watched. He saw how tense both men were, they were both nervous. Although senior seemed better at hiding it then Wesley. But then again, he knew Wesley far better then he knew Roger Wyndam-Pryce. He watched how they talked, watched the angry hand gestures and then voices were raised. He noticed Wesley's sudden stricken look. He noticed how Roger hesitantly tried to reach out briefly before his hand dropped at his side again. Then he heard Wesley cry out "Why now?" before he stormed out of the office and out the door.  
  
Angel jumped up ready to run after Wesley, until he remembered it was not yet dark out. Sometimes being a vampire sucked. He stared at the door Wesley had disappeared through debating if he should call Cordy or maybe Gunn. When the deep voice of Wyndam-Pryce senior alerted him to the fact that the other man was still there.  
  
"It is hard to break a vicious circle," Roger said looking at Angel steady.  
  
Angel blinked at the the man, wondering what he meant. He waited for Roger to continue.  
  
"It is very hard to learn from the passed," Roger did indeed continue. "To learn from the mistakes others have made. No matter how much you vow to yourself not to make the same mistakes, it is easier and safe to fall into the same patterns." Roger adjusted his tie and walked a little closer to Angel.  
  
Angel stood there, taking in the man's words. Making sure to take on a non-threatening stance. Even though he doubted he _could_ threaten this man.  
  
"It was a hard time when Emily, Wesley mother, died. For all of us," Roger said softly as if remembering things.  
  
Angel looked surprised. This was a tone of voice he had heard before many times, this was the way Wesley usually spoke. Never would he have imagined hearing this tone from the man now standing before him.  
  
"Wesley did though, he didn't turn into his grandfather, he..," Roger hesitated for a moment, as if he was about to give away a deep secret. Maybe he was. "He didn't turn into me."  
  
Angel was shocked. He could only stand there and stare at the man. This man who just talked about his son, about _Wesley_ with pride in his voice, with love.  
  
Roger gave him a half smile, "May I suggest something Angelus?" he asked. Angel could only nod. "The sun has gone under, go and find him and do what I am apparently incapable of doing." Having said that Roger picked up his suitcase and started to walk toward the door when he turned around. "Wesley knows where to find me if he wants to....talk."  
  
Angel nodded again and watched Roger Wyndam-Pryce walk out the door.  
  
**********  
Angel found him in the in the yard of the Hyperion. It had softly started to rain, but Wesley didn't seem to notice. Angel watched him for a few moments. Taking in the slumped shoulders, the hanged head, the nervous twitching of the hands. What ever Wyndam-Pryce senior had said to his son, it had made a deep impact.  
  
"You're going to catch a cold," Angel said trying to keep it light. He walked up to Wesley and reached out to touch the other man's shoulder.  
  
"He's going die." Wesley's voice was a mix of contradicting emotions. Cold and indifferent, frightened and painful.  
  
Angel sucked in an unneeded breath and put his hand on Wesley's shoulder, squeezing it for comfort.  
  
Wesley reached up to cover Angel's hand with his own. Angel waited, having no doubt that there was going to be more.  
  
"He might die," Wesley corrected himself, "Father said he was here to have surgery tomorrow and that he might die." Wesley took in a shaky breath. "He said I had done well with the agency."  
  
Angel noticed that Wesley's eyes were blinking fast and he could feel the soft tremors beginning to wrack through the body. He adjusted the hand on the shoulder, so that now his arm was around the other man, pulling him closer.  
  
Wesley leaned into the touch, the comfort, the safety. He chewed his lower lip. "He said Mum would have been proud," it was said so softly that Angel would have missed it were he not a vampire.  
  
Wesley wrapped his arms around his waist and took another shaky breath. "Why now? What am I going to do?" He asked at no one particular. He could feel tears pricking in his eyes, he could feel a sob making its way up his throat. He was shaking violently by now.  
  
Feeling the sob even before it had escaped Angel put both arms around Wesley and held him close. He rubbed his back as Wesley's tears mixed with the rain. He held him tight as Wesley wrapped his arms around the vampire's waist. Just stood there and waited for Wesley to let it all out.  
  
"Do you know what my greatest regret was," Angel said when he felt Wesley calm down. He didn't wait for Wes to answer. "I never got the chance to talk to my dad, never got the chance to _really_ talk to him, to tell him what I really thought about him, never got to ask what he really thought about me, never got the chance to tell him I loved him," Angel could tell Wesley was listening to what he was trying to say.  
  
Wesley sniffed and pulled back to look into Angel's eyes. "Will...would you go with me tomorrow?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Of course," Angel nodded and was once again surprised when Wesley looked at him relieved. It still warmed and scared him to find out just how much Wesley needed him. Just as much as he needed Wesley.  
  
**********  
Wesley hesitantly looking at the door. His father was in the room. Waiting for his surgery, alone, probably scared even though that thought still was foreign to Wesley's mind. His father was never scared. He felt Angel's comforting hand on his back, giving him strength. He grabbed the hand before pushing open the door and stepping into the room, pulling Angel with him.  
  
Roger Wyndam-Pryce was lying in the bed. Somehow he seemed small, vulnerable, nothing at all like the father Wesley had known growing up. He blinked at the sight and took a step back when the older man turned around to look at him. The eyes that before had held nothing but disappointed and contempt, now were speaking a completely different language.  
  
"You're here," Roger said, his voice making clear that he was surprised.  
  
"Yes," Wesley dug his hands into his pockets, unsure of what else to do with them. He took a hesitant step toward the bed looking at his father. "How...how are you feeling?" It was a rather stupid question Wesley realized, but he had no idea what else he was supposed to say.  
  
"Scared," Roger admitted, "but I'm very pleased that you are here."  
  
Wesley was shocked. He stared at his father with his mouth open, his eyes wide. He was unable to say a word. His father had just admitted he was scared and now...Wesley had to take of his glasses to clean them. He did not see this right. He put the glasses back on his nose and stared at his father. No, his father was still _smiling_ at him.  
  
"Close you mouth boy, you're catching flies," Roger said. There was however no venom in the voice, no disappointment. Carefully Roger reached out with his hand toward Wesley.  
  
Wesley closed his mouth with an audible snap and looked at the hand. He hesitated, unsure of what to do, but Angel's hand pushing him toward his father spoke volumes. Slowly Wesley grasped his fathers cold hand.  
  
"Will you be here when..." Roger asked his voice trailing off.  
  
"I'll be waiting," Wesley said squeezing his father's hand.  
  
The nurse came into the room informing them that they could wait in the waiting room, they had to go now Mr. Wyndam-Pryce had to be taken to the surgery room.  
  
Wesley and Roger looked into each others eyes for a moment. Blue meeting blue. A lot can be said with only a look and this look said a lot. Understanding, regret, a promise for the future.  
  
Wesley stepped back and walked out the room.  
  
Angel turned to follow him when Wyndam-Pryce senior's voice stopped him.  
  
"Angelus," Roger waited for Angel to turn around and look at him. "Take care of him."  
  
Angel looked at the man. A man who had played a big part in many of Wesley's nightmares, a man who had formed who Wesley had become, a man who was maybe going to die today, a man who apparently knew how important Wesley was to Angel and vice versa. He nodded once.  
  
Roger Wyndam-Pryce nodded back. And with that they both came to a silent agreement. They both cared for the same man, for Wesley. Albeit both in a different way. And Roger was assured that if something would go wrong, there would be some one there for Wesley.  
  
**********  
Angel watched Wesley sit. He was chewing the nail of his thumb again, his right leg was bouncing lightly. He had watched Wesley pace, watched Wesley fiddle with his glasses, cleaning them, chewing on them, until Angel had taken them away and put them in the pocket of his duster.  
  
Angel had called Cordelia to tell her how it was going. She had been by giving Wesley some comfort and distraction. She had gone back to the office to inform Gunn and Lorne who were waiting there, not wanting to crowd Wes. She had asked Angel to keep her informed every hour.  
  
He watched Wesley jump for the sixth time when the doors of the hallway to the surgery opened. Sighing he went over to where Wesley sat. He grabbed the hand and pushed it onto the bouncing leg. "It'll be okay."  
  
Wesley gave him a weak smile. He brought Angel's hand up to his mouth kissing it softly. "Thank you for being here," He said with gratitude.  
  
Angel shrugged, "Hey, comes with the territory."  
  
"He looked so scared," Wesley suddenly said. "I've never seen father like that, it's truly frightening." Wesley brought his hand up again to chew on the nail only to find he was still holding on to Angel's hand. Distracted he let them fall into his lap again. "I love him, I never told him," he said quietly, his voice laced with guilt.  
  
"You will," Angel said sure of himself.  
  
"I never realized that it must have been hard on him, raising me when Mum died," Wesley continued. "And there was his job and of course the council and..." Wesley's voice trailed off as he remembered what the council had been like. Old Fashioned, scared of change, unable to really adjust to new time.  
  
They both looked up when a doctor called out Wesley's name.  
  
The man in green scrubs approached them with a serious look. Wesley suddenly felt more afraid then he ever had in his entire life. He was close to hyperventilating. The only thing that grounded him was Angel's reassuring hand on his back.  
  
"Everything went as well as can be expected," The doctor began, "He's already come around a bit and recovering in the IC. If there are no further complications he should be alright within two weeks,"  
  
Wesley let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He still had a chance, _they_ still had a chance. "Can I...can I see him?" He asked in a shaky voice.  
  
The doctor nodded and pointed out where to find Roger Wyndam-Pryce's room. Angel walked behind Wesley toward the room. Only one visitor was allowed so he was going to wait in the hallway. He nodded encouragingly at Wesley and watched as Wesley pushed open the door and walked slowly into the room.  
  
Angel smiled. It was a sad and happy smile at the same time. He never had a chance to talk with his Dad, he had taken away that chance himself, or rather Angelus had. But Wesley and his father had a chance, a new chance. It had taken some one almost dying for them to recognize this chance, but Angel was sure that neither Wesley nor Roger Wyndam-Pryce would throw away this chance given to them. It would take a lot of work on both sides, but Angel was sure they would come to some kind of understanding. That one day both men would be able to say just how much they loved each other. That Wesley would be able to do what he, Angel, would never be able to do. To come to some sort of understanding with his Father.  
  
Angel looked up at the ceiling, blinking back his tears. "Love you dad," he whispered before his face turned stoic again and he leaned against the wall. Waiting for Wes.  
  
- end 

** 2003 by FerretGirl**


End file.
